Art Travels
by Seikatsu-Shi
Summary: Edward is known for his talented alchemy, but not so much for his talented artwork. Only drawing on train rides or whenever he's completely alone, Ed draws some of the most wonderful works of imagination out there. Most of his sketches: Winry Rockbell... Will not have a finished ending. Readers must use their imaginations.
1. Returning

**This is a new story about Edward Elric and Winry Rockbell. The setting is during the search for the return of the young alchemist's bodies. Winry's now in Rush Valley. The FMA version is Brotherhood.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist [Brotherhood] or any of its characters.**

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Chapter 1 - Returning

Detailing the eyes were all that was needed for the sketch to come alive. Bold lines met soft ones, crisscrossing with checker-patterned shading. There, it was done, but still not complete. A defeated, almost silent groan blew out of tanned lips, appearing in a soft cloud of mist before dispersing before golden orbs.

Edward Elric was famous for his talented alchemy at such a young age, and for being rather short despite that age. Everyone read or heard about what the young state alchemist was doing with each passing day, but even with all the eyes apon him, Edward managed to keep two things a secret. One more so than the other.

"Wow, brother. You're getting better." Alphonse's voice was hollow and it echoed slightly, something Edward had grown used to, yet it never slipped his mind.

Alphonse was the only one to know of his older brother's secrets, and Edward intended very much on keeping it that way. Until the time when sharing to the world felt appropriate, that was.

"Thanks, Al." Edward mumbled quietly from beside his suit of armor brother. They were on yet another train, and the only thing that kept Edward from starring out the slightly frosted window for hours, was what he held so dearly in his gloved hands.

It was a sketchpad, filled with drawings only he and his brother would see. Riding trains from Central to Resembool to Dublith were long and far between one another. One day, Edward had found an unused sketchpad on one of the train's booths, and he started drawing people who caught his attention. It came natural to him, and he found he could draw almost anything he wanted to. He'd never taken lessons before, but he learned soon enough he didn't need them. He began drawing scenery, whatever he saw outside that spiked his interests. He had good memory, everyone knew he did, so quick glimpses were just enough to get him started.

Only one month went by and Edward was drawing beautiful landscapes with only his thoughts providing him. He figured people were more of a challenge, but in the long run he turned out better than Major Armstrong. He could never truly find it in himself to draw a certain someone correctly though. He thought himself lacking in most of his artworks when it came to that person.

Ripping and then crumbling up the paper in his white-gloved hands, Edward heaved another long sigh in disappointment. He wouldn't ever be good enough. He let it drop to the dusty wooden floor where it bounced only once before settling.

"Brother! Why'd you do that? That was so good!" Alphonse gasped from beside his dejected older sibling. Some people on the train turned at the sheer volume in which Al had cried out in, but the suit of armor didn't seem to notice. Edward was leaning on the window seal, avoiding the white, pink lined, eyes of his younger brother as well as the other passengers.

"No, Al, it's not good enough." he said sharply. Al sighed, turning back front forward in his seat. He glimpsed at the crumpled up piece of paper that lay on the floor beside his right metal foot. Slowly, he went to pick it up, ignoring the stiffness that occurred in Edward. He unfolded it carefully so as not to tear the fragile material.

The picture which the elder Elric had so rudely discarded, was an almost identical portrait of their dear friend Winry Rockbell. Alphonse noted how soft Winry's eyes looked, how her trademark bangs crossed over her head exactly how they did in real life, how the shading seemed to make the picture pop.

Their mechanic was shown from head to waist only, dominating the portrait like she dominated their lives. Her arms were crossed behind her back with a smirk plastered across her gentle face. She wore a black tubular top with her usual lilac colored jumper suit in which the arms were tied around her waist. She was leaning on a wall with a picture frame to the left of her. The picture was an identical version to the real life one that hung in the Rockbell's home. It was Winry as a child with short, shoulder length hair. She was waving to the camera, her other hand behind her back.

Behind the back of the larger Winry was a well shaded wrench. It almost made Alphonse laugh, but he stuck with a mental smile. He could almost see Winry doing this exact pose, in fact he actually could. That 'insane nerd engineer' as Edward liked to call her sometimes.

Alphonse sighed quietly as he folded the drawing tenderly in half, putting it in his pocket that lay on the underside of his loincloth. They were almost to Rush Valley, and outside the train Edward didn't give any indication of his drawing talents. He even screwed up purposely when he drew Envy in the hospital after the Fifth Laboratory collapsed, just so his gift would go unnoticed.

It was becoming lighter outside and it began to feel warmer. Edward didn't realize the train was coming to a stop until he heard the squeal of the breaks go off. Previously too deep in thought to figure out where to hide his sketchpad, the growth stunted alchemist resorted to the last possible option: hide it in Al. Thrusting open Alphonse's metal head, Edward shoved his notebook into the hollow body without hesitation.

"Uh!" Al jerked back away but to no avail. The drawing pad fell to the bottom of the empty body with a soft clatter.

"Just keep it in there till I can hide it somewhere else, 'kay?" Edward requested, hopping off the train booth before his brother did. Alphonse shrugged in his mind and sighed aloud as he followed his older sibling.

Rush Valley never seemed to sleep. Already, the smell of oil and bad hygiene hit Edward upside the face worse than any wrench could. It was an acquired smell he guessed, for Winry was sure fond of the place. He could hear hearty laughter, tinkering of tools, greetings towards neighboring automail shops, and engines purring. He wasn't even in the heart of town and he still heard so much noise. It was perhaps the loudest town he'd ever been in, but he could still pinpoint his mechanic's voice over everyone else's any day. Speak of the gear-head...

"Edward! Alphonse!" Winry made her way to the Elric's, pushing through the large crowd.

"Hey, Winry! Got time for some old pals?" Edward grinned cheekily. The young blonde rolled her sea blue eyes when she finally reached them.

"Sure, what've you done this time?" She questioned, putting her hands on her nearly bare hips. Now instead of her lavender colored jumper suit, she sported a beige one with the arms tied in the same fashion. Instead of a black tube top, she showed off a black and white halter-top with a large zipper that split down the middle, extenuating her breasts fully. Don't think this went unnoticed by the young blonde alchemist who glanced her up and down only every five seconds.

"We just came by to visit." Alphonse piped up from behind his silent brother, Edward mentally thanking him for doing so.

"As if I actually believe that." Winry snorted, taking one of Edward's hands and pulling him through the enormous cluster of automail mechanics and customer.

"C'mon then, let's get you checked over!" The girl chuckled as she led them to Atelier Garfiel. The elder Elric being drug behind her simply smiled. It wasn't often that he did this, having to keep his feelings for Winry on the low-key nearly every minute, that he actually showed to the world that he was more than happy to be in her presence.

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**Please review! I plan on making many chapters for this story :3 BUT UR REVIEWS WILL DETERMINE HOW MANY CHAPTERS I SHALL GO ON FOR!**


	2. Her Fake Smile

**Thank you all mi reviewers, you have been amazing! Never before have I gotten 15 (and hopefully counting) reviews on ONE chapter! I was originally planning on updating, but I feel this story should be next considering all the fans :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or FMA Brotherhood**

**FROM THIS CHAPTER ON, THE STORY WON'T FULLY GO ALONG WITH FMA BROTHERHOOD  
**

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Chapter 2 - Her Fake Smile

Edward Elric stretched his perfectly fine limbs as he entered the very familiar, very cluttered automail shop known as Atelier Garfiel. Another sigh escaped the tender lips of the more than relieved state alchemist. He watched Winry showcase the dirty, rundown store through golden bangs that wisped across his cheeks. However unsanitary this place was, it must have been ten times better than the dirt streets and the people who filled those streets.

"I'll show you where I work," declared their blonde friend from the other side of the room.

"You mean you actually work in one specific area?" Edward teased with a playful smirk, earning a glare from his mechanic. She didn't say anything more as she turned a knob on her desk lamp, which lit up a small space she claimed as her workstation. Edward and Alphonse looked at each other instinctively before the youngest Elric took the first step forward. His brother followed a few moments after, his golden eyes focusing on the billboard set up around a unpretentious wooden desk with the tiny green lamp showing brightly onto Winry's latest creation.

Atelier Garfiel wasn't very big, but the two who were always working here seemed to manage with the lack of room. It was, however, bigger on the inside than it appeared on the outside. Still it was small, and that's why in the pictures above everyone seemed very close to each other. Even with the small span of time given for them to become great friends, Winry had done her utmost for the shop.

The young mechanic stood proudly by her desk with her rouged gloved hands on her hips. Stapled photos of Paninya, Mr. Garfiel, Winry, and random costumers who seemed oblivious to their photos being taken, were plastered up on the billboard. It seemed Winry was smiling in all her photos, but something seemed missing. Something insignificant that only Edward would notice.

Winry was wearing a fake grin. He knew that grin of a thousand grins, and that was definitely not a true smile. He'd seen it many times when saying goodbye to her after she fixed his automail in Resembool. She'd smile and look happy for them to encourage them on their journey, but she always worried. Each and every picture held Edward's intense stare, and in each on she seemed perfectly fine. Many would argue that she _was _perfectly fine, but none knew her like Edward did. Even Granny would say aloud that her granddaughter didn't look her happiest.

Edward bit the inside of his lip so he wouldn't be tempted to say anything, because he was _notorious _for spewing the wrong things at times. He settled with a mild compliment.

"You always were one for making memories." He chuckled as his diligent watch over the images faded and his head had turned to his smiling mechanic.

"Hush up," Winry blushed faintly and her toned arms crossed loosely over her halter top chest.

Edward leaned on the wall as he stared into open space. He noticed Al's attention was elsewhere, probably thinking about a stray cat or something. It made the Fullmetal Alchemist smile wryly, but his grin disappeared once a loud and very feminine voice erupted from the streets.

"I thought I heard a familiar voice. Edward, is that really you?" Soon, a rather large man with big muscles, which were less defined than Major Armstrong's, appeared from around the corner. He showed off those muscles in a formfitting, mulberry colored short-sleeve shirt. He also wore some suspenders that clipped onto a black set of pants that were seemingly tight as well.

"Yeah, it's me." Edward smiled in reply with a light chuckle. Mr. Garfiel was always nice, even if he was a bit naive and lived in a world of his own. Paninya, on the other hand, was a bit arrogant, lively, and overall a thief. The alchemist whom she stole from once had come to trust her, though. Winry had even swore she ditched the whole stealing act and was now working with odd jobs around town like fixing roofs. Winry's word was what counted.

Speaking of Paninya, she seemed to pop up right behind the shop's owner in jean overalls with a black underneath shirt.

"Hey, Shorty." She cheesed, propping herself up on the front bench of the garage type store.

"What'd you call me!" Edward shouted in furious tone, only to become more agitated when his teaser burst into a hearty laughter. He noticed Winry giggling out of the corner of his eye and right beside her even Garfiel was trying to hold back a modest chuckle.

"Shut up, all of you!" He ordered with a raised tight fist, turning away with eyes clamped shut and teeth clenched.

"Calm down, Ed." Winry waved him off as she also turned, going back to the abandoned, partly-finished automail leg that lay on her desk next to a heap of bolts and screws.

"Care for some tea, Edward?" Garfiel asked polity from the side, a wide grin still playing on his powdered face.

"Nah, I'll be outside." Edward grumbled as he walked away stubbornly. His metal sibling gave an apologetic grunt before rushing after him.

"Brother, it's not like you to walk out on Winry and Mr. Garfiel like that." Al spoke in a small tone once they were away from the automail shop. Now sitting on a tin roof in the middle of town, Edward lay back with his white gloved hands behind his head. The sky above him was a bright blue and white lingering clouds that seemed like they had been stretched out like taffy, were scattered across the atmosphere.

"Yeah, yeah, Al, jus' gimme the sketchpad." Edward snatched the booklet quickly away once Alphonse fished it out of his hollow body. Bronze orbs scanned the roof before reverting back to his sketchpad. Finding out Edward could draw was one thing, but finding out he drew Winry was a whole 'nother story. In the begging, the older Elric was skeptical of putting his biggest secret inside his other biggest secret, but being as optimistic as he was Ed managed to keep things the way he wanted.

"I'm going for a walk." Alphonse declared once he saw his older brother zone out in his drawings. Edward now held a pencil with his front teeth, a telltale sigh he _was _zoned out. However, he still was alert enough to hear his brother walking away.

"Just don't go picking up any stray cats." Edward warned before becoming completely submerged in his artwork. The hollow figure ignored his brother's warning and continued on, making an alchemic pathway back down to the ground.

At first, Edward tried to draw something else, something like the sky or any random building around him, but his mind kept wandering back to his automail mechanic. He thought vaguely about renaming his sketchbook 'Winry' but that would be a little too weird. Plus, he didn't draw _just _Winry. It wasn't like he was obsessed with his engineer friend, but she was always on his mind. It was hard enough finding a way to get his and his brother's bodies back, and then trying to figure out what the homunculi were planning. He was also trying to force out Greed in Ling's body, while worrying about Lan Fan with only one arm.

Right now, Edward was supposed to be going North, but he couldn't leave without one last look at the blonde girl he had come to love. One day would be enough time. One day, and he'd go on to the North to find that little obnoxious Xingese girl and make her tell him all about the different alchemy she and Scar use. First, he'd have to see Major General Armstrong.

Edward shuddered, imagining a large woman with rippling muscles and long, thick, wavy blond hair. He imagined her with beady blue eyes and a large yellow mustache. How would he be able to take her seriously?

With a heavy sigh, Edward's pencil met paper and before long he was drawing. He didn't know yet exactly what he was drawing, only a blurry image guiding his movements. He began concentrating, but he learned earlier that thinking too much or too hard caused him to erase most of his work and screw up his mental thought process. He was so engrossed in the sketch, he didn't hear the light footsteps coming from behind him.

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**Uh oh! Who's gunna see Edo drawing! PLEASE REVIEW! I won't be updating till I get at least 5 more reviews :3 cuz i ish EVILLLL!**


	3. Exposed

**Hahaha! Thank you all mi reviewers, you've been amazing! I think I said that last chapter...hmm... ONLY 2 OF U GUYS GUYS GUESSED CORRECTLY ON WHO WAS SNEAKIN UP ON EDO! But! What kinda story would this be if it were predictable? Hahaha! X3**

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Chapter 3 - Exposed

Finally, the youthful, golden haired alchemist was finished with his newest creation. He let out an exhausted sigh and a smug grin schemed across his lead-smudged cheeks. Instead of drawing the Major's sister or another portrait of Winry, Edward decided to draw himself. He was no prince charming, as May had once imagined him to be, but he decided not to tank his ego by drawing himself less aristocratic.

"Someone's a dreamer," came a voice from behind. Edward's gaze on his work halted, his amber orbs widened, and his jaw dropped just slightly. He stood in one fluid motion and jerked his body around to come face to face with the one previously standing over his shoulder. His face immediately fell even more when he realized who he was staring at.

"What the hell! What are you doing up here! How'd you find me!" Edward shouted furiously. His gloved hands were in a fist and the sketch he had been working on lay on the ground by his black, leather shoes. The woman in front of him backed up with her own rugged, gloved hands up to her chest in defense.

"Whoa, whoa, I didn't come to find you. This was actually the roof I had to fix next." Paninya explained in a now less amused voice. She put one hand on her hip as the other pointed to the badly beaten up air conditioner that Edward failed to notice. Her case was now justified. Ed characteristically huffed and crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Just...don't tell anyone." He warned as he observed the dark skinned girl making her way over to the air unit. She had picked up the rusty, green tool box she had obviously put aside when she became distracted by him drawing. The thought of anyone knowing about his secret, minus Al, drove him crazy with rage. He had half the nerve to threaten her, which he never really did towards women.

"Wasn't plannin' too." Paninya uttered as she began clearing her new work station from debris and wooden boards that had been stacked up beside it.

"Sure." Edward eyed her suspiciously.

"Why would I tell?" She asked with a shrug and an exhale, finally ready to work on her current project.

"Blackmail." The alchemist stated abruptly.

"C'mon, Ed." Paninya rolled her eyes as she worked. She said nothing else and neither did he for a few moments. Then, curiously, she asked him just why he was so ruffled up about her knowing his secret.

"Because, it's none of your damn business." Edward responded, now settled back on the tin roof with the sketchpad closed in his lap. He received a raised eyebrow in amusement, but he ignored the mechanic. After that nothing needed to be said. It soon became much too quiet though, and the young alchemist began to fidget. Paninya, however, was too busy with her work to be affected by the advancing uncomfortable silence. Edward wondered if she was even still aware of his presence. He got up with a grunt and placed his pencil inside his coat pocket. The small sketchpad settled inside his other one.

"I'm leaving." He announced, turning to see if he was even acknowledged.

"I won't tell anyone." Paninya promised without returning his gaze, referring to his no longer secret talent.

...

Edward finally arrived back at the garage-like automail shop. His cheeks were free from lead and were still a little flustered from the scrubbing they received. He rounded the corner with an orange drink his hand from the small cafe he just visited. It was practically the only beverage he tolerated in this filthy town. He nearly spilled half of it when he found his brother sitting in a small chair across from Garfiel with a scrawny, calico stray in his lap.

"Dammit, Al, what'd I tell you!" Edward yelled, slamming down his glass on the front bench. His outburst startled everyone in the shop.

"I couldn't just leave him!" Alphonse exclaimed, holding the tri-colored cat to his metal chest. His brother sighed, figuring arguing with the armored body was simply not worth it. He caught the glance from Winry when he leaned against the the frame of the building.

"Where were you?" She asked lightly from the back of the room, now working on some old man in a dark blue tank and tan trousers. He had two metal arms and one looked completed whilst _Edward's _mechanic worked on the other. The alchemist didn't answer her right away, for he was too busy watching her work. He would never admit it, not even to Al, but he felt a twinge of jealousy when Winry worked on other people. She had been his automail mechanic ever since he was eleven, and now she was working on others just as well as she had him, only with half the charge.

"Uh, nowhere." Edward ended up mumbling for a last minute response. He sipped his orange soda and placed himself in one of the many chairs sitting around the cluttered shop. Winry glanced his way with a bit of curiosity remaining his her soft eyes, but she resumed to her work after Ed had dismissed her.

"Did you see Paninya anywhere?" Garfiel asked while leaning on the wall with yet another cup of tea.

"She was on the roof...I saw her coming back." Edward mislead, looking down to his scuffed pair of boots. His cheeks felt hot, but he played it all off coolly. Garfiel was about to say something when the blonde loudly interrupted.

"That's the last of that!" Winry proclaimed delightedly once she finally accomplished fixing the man's arms. He smiled, payed his dues, and walked out the automail repair shop. Edward watched him leave and disappear into the mass of people who wandered the streets.

"So, when are you boys leaving?" Mr. Garfiel's question fell on the Elric's deaf ears. Alphonse was consumed with the kitten and Edward was daydreaming. It was only when the large man waved a pale handkerchief in front the older alchemist's face that he responded.

"Oh, sorry." He coughed before sitting up in the chair he had stolen from the absent Paninya.

"You boys finally come and visit and all you do is ignore everybody." Winry scolded with a giggle as she wiped her hands on her dark green towelette.

"We're heading North tomorrow." Edward pronounced after sending his female companion a guilty smirk. The hefty, feminine man stopped in his tracks, staring with huge, wide eyes.

"_Where _are you going?" He repeated, visibly shaken.

"North...why?" Edward questioned, somewhat intrigued by Garfiel's reaction.

"Oh, dear Lord, you're gunna die." Garfiel threw up his hands as if all hope in this world had vanished.

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**Thought I'd leave it off right there! XDD I can totally imagine him saying something like that! XD Anyway PLEASE REVIEW! I FINALLY UPDATED _JUST FOR YOU PEOPLE!_**

**Sorry, I kno its short! Ill try and make it longer when I can next time! I have NO clue where Im going with this story, im jus swingin' it! XD_  
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	4. Briggs' Automail

**Dammit! Just how many people knew it was Paninya! Wait...don't answer that. I realize I shud update sooner, but people r sending me death threats here! I shud really stop makin so many stories DX CURSE MI CREATIVITY!**

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Chapter 4 - Briggs' Automail

"What do you mean by that?" Edward questioned with an arched eyebrow. He had gotten up, now leaning back on the bench in front of the garage-like automail repair shop, his hands back behind him to hold up his sturdy body. Garfiel sighed and took another sip of his tea before leaning back on the wall.

"I'm sure you've heard from that big fellow in the military, Major Armstrong is it?" When the little alchemist nodded cautiously, Garfiel continued.

"Briggs is not only freezing," Garfiel shuddered for affect, "the Major General in charge is known all over Amestris as the _Ice Queen_. Dominic shipped out some of his prize automail contraptions on the orders from the General herself." With an extended finger to emphasize his words, a wry smile played on the scarlet lips of the large and hairy man.

"And if you're going to Briggs, you'll need to change your automail." Winry piped up from behind enthusiastically.

"Why would I do that?" Edward asked when he adverted his golden eyes to his canny engineer.

"If you're exposed to a snow storm, the skin touching your automail will freeze." She informed while scouring through the metal limbs that hung up on the wall and piled up on the floor.

"What, is their automail different or something?" Again, Edward asked yet another question Winry would surely have the answer to.

"It's a combination of metals," Winry enlightened before disappearing through the back door of the shop, which Edward hadn't noticed before. She left the door slightly agape, kicking it open softly when she returned. In her hands was a large heap of different metals. She dumped them on the floor just beside her desk and Edward flinched at the loud noise it created.

"Don't use all of it, Winry." Garfiel's eyes widened.

"I'll only use some of it." Winry promised, glancing at the older Elric who bore a confused look.

"We keep scrap metal in the back, just in case someone's allergic to a certain type of metal. Anyway, the Briggs' automail uses a mixture of metals." Winry acquainted as she held up a scuffed metal pipe.

"A mixture?" Ed was quite intrigued, never before knowing there were other ingredients put into automail to withstand abnormal temperatures.

"Rather than just being made of iron, the automail that can withstand sub-zero temperatures is made from carbon fiber, fiberglass, chrome, copper-nickel and aluminum alloys."

"All that just for automail?" Alphonse's soft voice spoke up. The new tabby in his lap purred and cuddled up against his iron chest, trying to gain his attention back. Winry simply nodded as she inspected each metal piece she picked up from the abundance of scraps. Ed watched her intently, picking up different metal after different metal.

"I shouldn't have to make you a new arm and leg from scratch, but you probably shouldn't leave for awhile." Winry instructed without turning to look at her biggest source of income.

"What, we have to be up North by tomorrow!" Edward suddenly seemed more aware of the conversation now that he might be delayed even more from his mission.

"You wanna get frostbite!" Winry backfired, glaring at the blonde alchemist through a sideways position. Edward grunted and turned away stubbornly, staring angrily out into the baking streets.

"How long are we talkin'?" He grumbled irritably. Winry ignored him, for she was already in the zone and beginning on certain arm parts. Edward sighed loudly and obnoxiously. He knew the only way to get Winry out of her trance was if he stood over her continuously and watched her work. She'd either grab whatever part of him she could or take a wrench to his skull.

"You might as well stay." Garfiel shrugged before sauntering off. He said something about making lunch but Edward wasn't paying attention. Alphonse was also too engrossed with the kitten in his lap to notice the world around him either.

Edward hated moments like this. There was absolutely nothing to do and he just wasn't inspired enough to draw. He grew tired of watching Winry out of the corner of his eye, and now he sat blankly on the bench staring into space. He hoped an idea would pop up into his little head, or something bad would happen and he'd have to go off and fix it, or that maybe Winry would pipe up and say that it wasn't all that important and that he could go whenever. However hectic his life was at times, whenever he needed something to do his life would literally stop.

It was almost the afternoon, and Garfiel was just now making lunch. It would probably consist of cookies or small cakes. It was too hot to move and right now the young alchemist felt like slug, sprawled out on the bench lazily. He turned his head to left, watching Winry work through the golden strands that fell over his face.

"Winry, is this really all that nec-"

"Yes." Winry cut him off quickly, ending all conversation at that. Edward sighed again before drooping further on the bench. The boredom was killing him, but he figured he might as well take a nap if nothing else was going on. Closing his eyes and drifting to sleep, his hand absentmindedly fell to his stomach, exposing it to the world. Alphonse giggled and shook his head. It wasn't the first time Edward slept with his tummy out.

...

Edward awoke at Dominic's to the mouthwatering aroma of beef stew. He sat up straight and stretched, quickly wiping the corner of his mouth when he felt he was drooling. He stood up and stretched his back while a long, outstretched groan came from the back of his throat and out his chapped lips. Opening the door to the guestroom, he peered out into the hallway and stumbled outward.

"Winry told me you'd wake up when you smelled stew." Satella giggled from the kitchen, a large metal pot in her hands. She dipped a large silver spoon into the stew while tipping the pot to the side, scooping out its continents into six bowls.

"Where is Winry?" Edward asked after looking around the room. He only saw his brother, Ridel, Paninya, and Dominic holding his new grandson up on his knee.

"She's working on you automail, kid." Dominic answered icily from the couch. The baby giggled in his lap, turning the hardcore muscle man into a blushing, giddy glob of goo. Edward rolled his eyes and fixated them onto Satella bringing out a silver tray with all six bowls on it. She set it down on the table and everyone grabbed one. As Edward took his, he savored the bite in his mouth. _Oh_, he hadn't had stew like this in a long time!

"This is amazing!" Edward said heavenly, his golden eyes glazed over in pleasure. The now cat-less Alphonse chuckled and watched his eccentric older brother devour the stew.

It wasn't that long at all before Edward finished, for others were enjoying and actually _tasting _their food as it went down. The full Elric stood and put his bowl away in the sink after dashing it under the faucet. Wiping off the excess water on his shirt, he grabbed his red alchemist coat from the rack by the door and slipped it on.

"What're you doing, Ed?" Alphonse asked as he stood. Edward looked back with his trademark smirk splitting across his face.

"Say goodbye, Al, we're leaving." Edward ordered, gaining everyone's attention in the room.

"What about Winry? She's fixing you up a new arm and leg." Paninya stared at the older brother somewhat puzzled. Edward only grinned.

"We gotta head up North if we're ever going to get back our bodies. Tell Winry not to wait up." Edward requested before heading out the door. Alphonse hesitated at the door, then bowed nervously before rushing out after his brother. Paninya was left smirking.

"She's _so _going to kill them."

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**! I finally updated once again! I thought Edo and Aru spent too much time in Rush Valley anyway. How is Winry going to react? U kno she'll blow up on em ;D YOU BETTER REVIEW MI STORY! I JUS MYT NOT UPDATE FOR AWHILE!  
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	5. The Telephone's Ring

**Okay, I've been moving for the past two months and one thing after another has obstructed my writing time—mi mother being the main reason. Anyway, I would also appreciate more reviews :D because reviews are love! And they're the only thing that keeps me from bitching at you guys! Hope you enjoy this chapter, and I think you will ;D**

**P.S. TO THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE A FANFICTION! You can still review without a profile. There's no excuse! *cries***

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Chapter 5 - The Telephone's Ring

The Earth's source of warmth, dull in comparison to one particular alchemist's eyes, rose over a desert valley nestled between many large, jagged mountains. Shadows from the night that had swallowed up the town which claimed the valley, raced back to their decent. The ever-present moon, shining brighter than the billions of stars surrounding it, faded non-completely within the sun's rays. Night was as different as the day it was becoming, but the temperatures never drastically varied in the south. The dark was extremely warm, and the day merely slid into undeniable heat. For one used to chilly nights and mild, cloudy days, it would be understandable if it was almost overwhelming. However, the newest member of the town, a Resembool woman, liked the constant warmth; she appreciated the trail of sweat that gathered under her chin before splashing onto the ground after a hard day's work.

A loud rattling sound rang throughout Rush Valley's quiet streets. It was soon followed by many of the same noises. It was the sound of a garage door opening for the start of the upcoming day. Winry Rockbell, an already popular mechanic and a good friend to many of the residents, stepped out of Atelier Garfiel. She bored a bright smile as she stretched her toned arms and legs. She was happy, and the smile she so proudly displayed was arguably enough a true smile. Edward Elric would surely think so, but he was the reason Winry's face nearly split in two in the first place. She'd get to see him today, and she'd get to go up North and be with him just in case his automail was to break—but that would only be an excuse she'd use. She wanted to be near him all the time—on all levels. Even when there were moments where he made her blood boil. She found herself missing him whenever he was gone, more-so than she had ever. Maybe it was because she knew more about the dangers he was putting himself into, but something told her that wasn't it.

Edward happened to be the first person on her mind always, except maybe Granny Pinako or the other Elric, but that was only because she loved and cared for her family members very deeply. Still, even they was beginning to fade in comparison to her alchemist friend. Winry admitted she liked him on the train ride back to Rush Valley, but with all that time to think, she was just now comprehending what 'like' meant. She liked him more than a friend, but she could never tell him that. It would surely ruin what they had; automail was the only thing that connected them without actually showing her feelings. Edward's new state-of-the-art automail was beyond magnificent, and it would surely allow her more time with him.

It was true she had slaved over this automail for two days. She had asserted and molded all the right metals into one piece and had modified the automail as much as she could without making it too heavy. With all the right tools, and with Garfiel right beside her and Dominic only a phone call away, Winry had successfully built from scratch two "perfect" automail limbs. Now all was needed was to fit them onto the elder Elric, but in order to do that...he had to be there.

**"THEY LEFT!"** A very angry, very tired, voice screeched. By now, everyone in the valley was awake, but that didn't stop the young Rockbell woman from whipping out her wrench and daring anyone to complain with a simple, but lethal, death glare.

Paninya sat up on a long desk lined with the creamy off-white wall. The rising sun's light billowed in through the open window on her left, having a shinning affect on her overall buttons and forming a devious glint in her chocolate orbs. Her long legs, appearing larger in the baggy, jean material, kicked back and forth as she leaned back on the wall of the repair shop. She had just broken the news to her mechanic friend, about how the brothers decided to go up North on their own without her. Winry was a little crushed on the inside, but at the moment she was beyond furious. She had worked so desperately for the boys she cared the most about, only to have her hard work shoved in her face as if they didn't care at all.

Paninya focused on the dust and dead skin cells floating aimlessly in the light pouring in from the window. She was silently enjoying her friend's enraged behavior, knowing full well she'd take it out on the brothers. Only there was one miscalculation to her plan, and it would cost her her head. The mechanic's enormous wrench collided with the dark woman's cheek bone and clattered onto the floor before she could even register what the hell just happened. Winry's accuracy was deadly, and the sore girl wondered if it was from chucking the large tool at Edward so many times.

"How could you have let them leave! Why didn't you tell me!" She was all but demanding, and she had every right to know, but Paninya didn't exactly have a good answer other than "I wanned to see Edward get sucker-punched." Instead, she was the one nearly getting knocked out. It was Garfiel who came to the rescue—somewhat—and distracted the crazed blonde.

"Winry, Paninya already isn't the sharpest tool in the tool shed. You sure you want to—" He shut his mouth when his employee turned his way and dished out her rage, but a menace glare was plenty suffice.

"And you!" she had cut him off, "You knew too, didn't you!" Her finger pointed dangerously in his direction. Before the large, frightened man could come up with some lie to save his hairy skin, the phone cut through the ice and reached all ears. Grumbling and sighing, Winry marched over to the phone and yanked it off its cradle.

"Sorry, but all appointments will have to be pushed back to a later date." Her face dropped and all signs of anger were erased from her features.

"Assistant of the Fuhrer?" She questioned, capturing the full attention of her two victims. Both tried to follow the conversation, but Winry was mumbling quietly and keeping her answers simple.

"Sure, I'll be there as soon as I can. Mhmm, yes, I'll take the first one. Right, okay, bye." The young mechanic placed the large telephone back in its cradle, and the long, black cord loosened around her callused index finger. She turned with a long and frustrated sigh, but her once heated blue pools slicked over like two opaque spheres and had fallen to the floor. Finally, she looked back up and made eye contact with Garfiel first then Paninya.

"Well, guess I'm heading North."

...

The train station was overcrowded with twice as many people as Winry remembered. It was one thing to get herself through the massive gathering, but it was a whole nother story trying to get through with a big, bulky suitcase. It got to the point where she had to push and shove, otherwise she'd miss her train—and she promised the man on the phone she'd be on the first ride out of Rush Valley.

After explaining to everyone in the shop that Edward had encountered a Briggs' Blizzard, and that he needed new northern automail that wouldn't stiffen up in the cold. She said they told her it was urgent, and that she'd need to get there right away if Edward wanted to continue on his journey. Winry had instructed Garfiel to take on minor projects like he had been doing before she ever arrived, and hand the emergency ones off to Dominic if necessary, but all others were to be postponed until further notice.

An older man with light brown hair poking out the sides and front of his uniform hat took her ticket and let her pass. She politely refused his offer to help her with her luggage, and she struggled on down the aisle. Booth after booth, they were all full. It looked like maybe she'd have to share, and although Winry was personable and friendly, she really didn't feel like sitting across—or possibly next to—someone she didn't even know for more than ten hours.

Just when all hope was vanishing, she spotted a clear booth in the very back. Before she could jinx herself by reminiscing in her discovery, Winry jumped in the seat and placed her large suitcase in the seat just across from her. Now she could relax and let her mind wander. She'd nod off eventually and regain some much needed sleep, but she still wasn't all that tired. She had managed four all-nighters once, but this last job had wore her out. Sleep would soon catch up with her. She needed to loose the bags under her steely blue eyes anyway.

The train's loud whistle alerted the passengers they were taking off, and whomever in the station that they'd just missed their train. The images outside, which was barren land after Rush Valley, became blurry. The trip was going to be a long one, but even still Winry was not tired. She was more caught up in the fact that she was leaving the bustling town she had came to love. Alone no less. It was still very warm on the train, but with each passing moment the lonely blonde could almost feel the temperature go down. She'd miss the ever-rolling heat waves that scorched the valley. She'd take it any day over freezing cold mountains without an ounce of remorse hidden underneath a comforter of snow.

Winry shook her head, tossing around the pale yellow stands of silky hair that framed her face. It was only her imagination, making her think it was getting colder. It would certainly be very warm for at least another three hours. Yet she was already longing for the hot afternoons in Rush Valley, where the work was easy and the crowds were nice and all was well.

She let out another sigh, relieved she didn't see her breath in the muggy air. She was already bored, but still her eyes would not stay closed. They seemed to bounce back open like a fresh spring doused in oil.

_Maybe if I lay down...?_

It was a bit awkward, but Winry felt more tired in this position. She thought about taking out her coat to cover herself, but threw the idea to the side. When it got cold enough she'd wake herself up. She was too lazy to get it out,very uncharacteristic of her. Not only that, but she didn't want to take out her coat and accidentally showcase her newest creation. Most of the people on the train were from Rush Valley, and even though she was in the back, you could never be too careful around mechanics when it came to automail.

Winry stared off into space at the thought of some people trying to jump her for her metal limbs, and how she'd yank out her trusty wrench out of no where. The thought of it all made her smile, but something else caught her sleepless pupils. A piece of paper was shoved in the tight corner crevice of the booth holding her suitcase. As she stared at it, her curiosity grew. Suddenly, she was sitting up straight and prying the paper from the seat. She had to pull the rough fabric away so she could wedge out the crumpled mess. Hopefully, she wouldn't tear it. It slipped out with a bit of a tug, and Winry triumphantly held it up.

"Let's see what you are—" she cut herself off with a gasp. She was expecting a few meaningless words or perhaps a note, maybe even a doodle. Winry scanned the picture over and over again, but it only seemed less real with each glance.

It was a drawing. It was a _crumpled_ drawing. It was a _beautiful_, crumpled drawing. It was a beautiful, crumpled drawing...of her.

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**OMG so Winry finally found one of Ed's drawings, but does she know it's his? It could be any number of people, but who'd be drawing HER? Will she think she has a stalker? Only time (and the next chapter) will tell! PLEASE REVIEW DAMNIT! :D**


	6. Ice Cold

**Dear Readers: I'm sorry I take forever to update...**

_**But I have a life.**_

**I'm fifteen, meaning I can't stay on the computer all day and write stories. I have about three other stories I'm working on that are already up, another three on hold, and one I'm seriously thinking will become a major hit once I get it up on FanFiction—The Missing Sequel. I'm also seriously putting forth the effort into writing my own manga—Seikatsu-Shi. Haha..don't laugh.  
**

**So, again, I'm sorry I can't update quicker, but it's really not my fault.  
**

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Chapter 6 - Ice Cold

Breath fogged the cold, frosted glass, and Winry took the time to amuse herself by drawing sloppy pictures in the opaque condensation. She peered out of the smeary window and smiled faintly. She loved the snow—the white, gleaming comforter of a trillion little flakes bunched together was a heavenly sight. However, when the train squealed to a stop, it wasn't such a very pretty view anymore. Alas, when people had been walking in it all day, the frozen liquid turned quite dirty and mushy. Near the entrance of the train station was especially filthy. Not to mention it was beyond cold, and the wind was bitter and unmerciful.

"Now I'm supposed to meet with Mr. Kimblee..." Winry muttered to herself as she boarded off the train. Looking around, she couldn't find anyone in a military uniform, much less someone that could be acquainted with the Fuhrer. She looked like a lost child searching for her mother, and it was a bit frustrating on her part.

"This is exhausting..." She sighed irritably, stumbling around the large, laid out area of the train station. No one matched her description of Kimblee, but it wasn't exactly like she had a photo to go by anyway. Surely he'd stand out; surely he'd see her wandering around and figure out she was the Winry he had requested for. _He_ probably had more to go by than she did.

"Excuse me, but would you happen to be Miss Rockbell?" A sly voice struck her from behind, and the wayward woman swirled around on the spot. Looking up, he was not what she expected whatsoever. His eyes were beady, his hair coal black, his skin was marble-pale. He looked like he could have been the evil version of Ling, whom she barely knew in the first place.

His large, white coat blended in with the bare background, his matching hat propped on his little head. He towered over her like the mountains in Rush Valley used to, but his smile calmed her nerves a little. His features contrasted with one another, and frankly Winry didn't know what to make of him.

"I'm Kimblee," He continued when she didn't reply. It snapped her out of her little world of criticism and judgment.

"Ah! Yes! I'm Winry Rockbell." She did a quick bow, her ponytail flinging up in the bitter breeze. She hadn't noticed the two officers behind Kimblee earlier. They stuck out a little more from the crowd with their dark blue uniforms and off-white fuzzy collars. Their features were a bit weird as well. One had a dark complexion like Paninya, and the other had beady blue eyes and gold hair and a square, squashed head.

"Please, right this way then." The pale man gestured to a small town car. The two soldiers oped for the front seats, and Winry took the back next to Kimblee himself. It wasn't like he gave off a bad aura, but he seemed a bit...strange. When he smiled he seemed a bit off, like he was was faking it, but what would Winry know? She wasn't like Edward, who could pick apart a person and tell what they were feeling with a mere glance.

She froze. Could he tell what she was feeling in Rush Valley? She liked the desert heat and the friends she'd made there, but she didn't..._love_ it. She loved Resembool, the place where she was born and raised. She liked the people in the hot automail town, but she missed her home town more than anything. Could he have been able to tell...? She tried her best to make the smile on her face as real and true as possible, but sometimes it was never enough.

Winry hoped Edward wouldn't have noticed. She didn't want to worry him, but it wasn't as if he liked her or anything. Why would he care? He didn't even pay her much attention anyway. A part of her felt saddened at the thought. Kimblee didn't seem to get that she was in a trance. Her mere mumbles were plenty suffice to keep the conversation going, though. However, once he asked if she were child of the Rockbell's who served in Ishval, she was driven back into reality. He had seen the look in her dark blue eyes when she acknowledged him, and he would undoubtedly use that to his advantage.

When the car wheeled to a stop, it was almost eight o'clock. The sky was darkening and, one by one, stars seemed to pop up into existence out of nowhere. The icy wind was still for the time being, and as Kimblee opened up the back door for the young girl awaiting patiently inside, she silently prayed she'd never feel the harsh caress of the wind ever again. The temperature must have been in the teens, or even perhaps the single digits.

Once close to the entrance, Winry's pace grew a little quicker. She took in the quiet surroundings; the snow muffling out nearly every noise made by tracking feet. The enormous wall before her stuck out like black rose in the middle of a colorful garden. It was incredibly daunting and intimidating, but not as much as what—who—awaited inside.

"Show Miss Rockbell to General Armstrong, then take her to where the Elric's are being held. I'll be waiting there." Kimblee ordered the two large men, offering a smile to her. In return she smiled back, though it was a bit forced.

...

After having a brief introduction with the General, who she thought was a very nice lady, Winry was escorted down a couple hallways. After the fifth turn, she gave up trying to figure out her location. It was simply too much to keep up with Briggs' complicated layout.

Finally, the two soldiers led her to a skinny door with a small window. The man with fairly pale skin and golden hair opened the door. Inside was nothing but a long, narrow passage. Along one wall were nothing but holding cells, and Kimblee stood almost in the center of the room. He appeared as if he just arrived, and as she made her way to him, her fears became reality.

Edward was almost face to shoulder with Kimblee; iron bars separating them from each other. Alphonse sat to the left of Ed on a wooden bench. Both were in wooden handcuffs and both—meaning Edward only—looked pissed and confused. She couldn't help herself. She had smiled at the first sight of him, even though she knew she should be angry and then worried. However, all anger seemed to subside from her mind.

They bickered for a only a moment, but that was only because Edward seemed worried about her. When she mentioned the phone call from the military, though, his expression was one of complete confusion. It worried her to the point of wondering if maybe this had all been a set up. Edward looked perfectly fine—besides the fact that he was in a wall-length cage like some animal.

Winry's head began to spin, and for a second she thought she might be sick. The alchemist she had grown to love was glaring icey daggers at the other alchemist she'd known for approximately two hours. This puzzled her, and when Kimblee placed his hands on her shoulder, she couldn't help but flinch.

"Ed," she whispered after a long break of silence. Everyone's attention focused on her, and she felt heated on the spot. Her mouth opened but she hesitated, and the words died on her rosy, chapped lips. Edward tensed and his grip on the metal bars tightened.

"Alright then," Kimblee breathed casually, taking out some keys and unlocking the cell door. "I think it's time we upgraded the Fullmetal Alchemist's automail."

"Right..." Winry halfheartedly agreed. She didn't know what to make of this place yet, but as she made her way to the door in which she came through, with Edward and Kimblee marching on in front of her, she decided to wait awhile before showing Edward the drawing of her from the train.

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**LISTEN: Mi mother is going through a faze in which she thinks i need to be a "well-rounded" person. This means im grounded from internet, fone, paper and pencil, and my drawing pads. I have no clue when I'll be able to update and im REALLY sorry.**


	7. Private Reaction

**I am SO sorry I've taken so long! My mom has been more lenient and has started giving me internet time (or drawing/writing time) and to be honest I haven't been using it for your benefit. Don't worry, I haven't spent it all on Facebook. I don't even have one now xD**

**I do not own FMA/FMAB :)**

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Chapter 7 - Private Reaction

Edward gripped the hem of his dark blue tank, but instead of pulling it over his head, he massaged the material for just a little bit longer. It may have been because Kimblee and his guards were standing by the door starring holes through his back that kept him from taking it off, or maybe it was the fact that he'd be half-naked in front of Winry—she'd seen him in his underwear plenty of times, but that was _before_ he'd felt something for her other than friendship. He would never admit the feelings aloud, but of course, his actions spoke louder than words. He was only glad Winry didn't pay attention to him as much as he did her.

Winry sat on a stool beside the metal table where in a few minutes she would replace Edward's arm and leg with the ones she hand crafted. He'd been stalling for five whole minutes, and now he was hesitating, as if contemplating if he should take off his shirt or not. Finally it came off, exposing hard abdominal muscles that had Winry tense all over. They were more defined than she had ever seem them before. His whole body was rigid and his golden eyes quivered as they stared at the floor. It was a nervous trait she had picked up on, but one she hadn't seen very often until recently. His fingers slightly trembled as they reached his black pants.

_Quit staring, he's your best friend!_

Winry felt as if she'd been slapped. The voice in her head was nasty and accusing. She wanted to snap back that she hadn't been starring, but she couldn't lie to herself. She looked back up at Edward, who had undone the first button that lay on the inside of his pants. The zipper was next...

A knock echoed through the metal door behind Kimblee, and everyone looked toward it. The second Winry's attention was adverted from the young alchemist, a _whoosh_-ing sound escaped her slightly parted lips. She hadn't realized she'd held her breath for so long. Now she felt lightheaded and flushed.

A military man with broad shoulders and dirty blonde hair stood on the other side of door, his face grim. Kimblee muttered something under his breath, and though Winry couldn't hear what he was saying, his tone was venomous. It sent shivers up her spine. She hadn't known he could have been capable of such an ugly tone; he'd been so nice to her before. Creepy, but nice. Now he reminded her of Dominic when someone pissed him off.

He turned then, his eyes sweeping over her with little interest, and landed on another mechanic minding his own business in the back. Neil could only partially be seen behind the white curtain pulled halfway to the left, obscuring Winry's view on what he was doing in the small off-room.

"You," Kimblee's voice was almost a snarl, and the man in the white coat looked up to see he was being pointed at. "Don't let them escape." He stormed out with his white overcoat drifting around him like smoke, making him appear more dangerous than anyone he'd been portraying earlier.

_'Them'...? Why would _I_ escape?_

Those words rippled through her mind but, "Wonder what that was all about..." was all Winry murmured, more to herself than to anyone else in the room. She saw Edward shrug carelessly before dropping his pants to the floor.

_You're alone now..._

The voice inside her head was her own, but it sounded like someone else was talking. She briefly wondered if she was schizophrenic. She was showing the signs. A nagging feeling consumed her and the sketching she found of her kept throwing itself into her mind.

_Show him!_

_Not now_, Winry argued. She barely noticed Edward sitting down on the table beside her, laying down and flipping the white cloth over his narrow hips. She was absently starring at the tools on a smaller table that rose beside his head.

_This is probably the only chance you'll get to be alone with him! Show him!_

But Winry wondered why it mattered that she had to be alone with Edward to show him. She could've shown the picture to Alphonse if she wanted to, so why did it matter?

_Because_, said the voice inside her head, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, _the fact of the mater is that you_ _lo_—

"Ow," startled, Winry looked down at the golden boy below her. Two of his fingers intertwined with a strand of her lemon hair that had fallen from over her shoulder. A look of mild concern and distant amusement washed over the nonchalant mask he'd been wearing before.

"Winry—"

"I have to show you something." She stated so abruptly, Edward cut himself off and left his mouth hanging slightly agape. He sat up casually, almost tiredly; the cloth in his lap barely serving its purpose. He watched as Winry's usually careful fingers fumbled inside her dress pocket. Out she pulled a folded up piece of paper, and instantly Edward went rigid all over. His breath caught up in his lungs and burned in his chest. It seemed like years until she finally unfolded it. It was just as he feared.

"I found this on the train," She began, but the elder Elric hardly heard her. He stared at the sketch held delicately in her firm hands. It was the drawing he'd done on the train ride to Briggs. It was half finished, so he'd been careless; he stuffed it in between the seat cushions, positive no one would find it, especially Winry. Yet here she sat in front of him chatting up a storm about it.

"Edward, are you even listening?" Jerked back to reality, Edward looked up into deep waters surrounded by long blonde lashes.

"Do you know who's it is?" He asked suddenly, only to receive a irritated sigh in response. He could feel his cheeks burning and his mind clouded with terror and his stomach doing somersaults and his ears were flooded with sound of rushing blood. However, on the outside, he kept his posture under control and tried to look as if he was only a little bit curious. He was sure he could pull it off.

"I already told you I don't know who's it is." Winry replied. She stared at Edward as if she didn't know what to make of him, and at the moment she didn't. She hadn't expected his reaction to be so...relaxed? But at the same time he wasn't relaxed. At first he stared at the picture as if he were truly fascinated. He was tense all over and his eyes seemed to look everywhere but her and the sketching. He hadn't noticed the crack in his own voice, and though it was very small, Winry had heard it loud and clear.

She had first thought of going into one of her frantic fangirl stages the way she would if she saw a beautifully made automail limb, describing how the person who drew the picture must have been a stalker, and he was deeply in love with her and poured all his heart and soul into this drawing. Now, with this unexpected reaction from Edward, it kind of worried her. Maybe it was a stalker, but not the bad boy she hoped for. She stared at the picture, as if looking at it long enough would give her the answers.

After awhile of awkward silence, Edward said, "Don't trust Kimblee."

Winry looked down at him in faint wonder, coming up out of her daze. She folded the drawing back into a square and put it back in her pocket, returning her attention to the half-naked alchemist.

"What?" She'd been in her own world until now.

"You shouldn't trust Kimblee." Edward's voice was flat and quiet, though she figured he didn't even care about Neil in the back. Winry wanted to say she was suspicious of him herself, but the boy's gaze was hard and raised questions in the back of her mind.

"He seems like a nice guy." Even she knew better than to question Edward's intuition, more so when it came to people, but she was puzzled as to why Kimblee would put on a facade and trick her.

"Do you have any idea what that creep did in Ishval?" Edward hissed, but after that he seemed to take in the question himself. Then he went hard all over and his golden eyes widened. Winry thought at any moment he was going to explode out of his seat and hit the ceiling and go tumbling when the metal door opened as if the person owned the place. Kimblee strode back in with the two large military men backing him up.

"Is he finished with?" His tone was acid just as it had been before. It made Winry's body erect in her chair with momentary fear. She glanced quickly at Edward, who still had his old automail attached. She turned toward him and steadied Edward's arm for displacement.

"Uh...he's been kind of difficult." She lied without looking back at Kimblee, readying the tools necessary for the limb exchange. After that was the furious outburst from the Elric, but that seemed to only further Winry's proof.

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**No one ever said Winry wouldn't throw Edward under the bus at times like these! XD** **PLEASE REVIEW! Again, I'm so sorry for such the long time wait!**


	8. Damned and Determined

**I realize I've been grounded awhile, and I hope none of yall have given up on this story! I'd be so sad!**

**Also my chapters NEVER go over 3,000 words. I simply can't drag it out long enough.  
**

**Disclaimer: Arakawa owns everything FMA, I am just simply toying with her ideas**

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Chapter 8 - Damned and Determined

Edward paced back and forth in his cell with his golden eyes dancing over the dirty white floor nervously. His fingers twitched and his fists clenched just as they always did when he had the need to draw and let out whatever was being bottled up inside him, but now wasn't the time to cast the world away. Kimblee watched him with distant interest, seemingly bored with the two boys. He was only there to make sure the younger alchemist didn't spill all the beans to his little girlfriend.

Kimblee's head jerked up at the rusted door opening with a soft creak, and he straighten his back when his vivacious little blonde hostage entered. A wicked smile played on his chapped lips as he unlocked Fullmetal's cell. Edward had immediately gotten tense all over when he saw Winry—the girl he tried so hard to protect. He forced himself to relax. He needed to tell her what she didn't already know, even if the truth meant that everything he'd told her before had been a lie.

Winry took her place on the other side of Alphonse and managed to get settled on the hard benches neither Elric found comfortable. She gazed up at Ed with a questioning and innocent look.

"Winry," Ed bit his lip and his hands clenched once again, but he continued, "you were only brought to Briggs as a hostage." There he said it; it was finally out there. The words he had locked up inside him the moment he found out Winry was at Briggs came seeping out his soul.

It left Winry as confused as if he had suddenly slapped her, and she looked as if he actually had. Edward had to remind himself that keeping things from her hurt her more than telling the truth in the end. However, at this moment, he felt awfully skeptical of that.

"What?" Her face was blank and her mouth opened and closed, only to open again. She looked to Al, and although he was certainly baffled, it was only because he couldn't believe his brother was telling her the very thing they tried to keep away from her.

In all seriousness, she asked, "Are you joking?"

"Listen..." He took a breath, as if readying himself. "I've been ordered by the Fuhrer to fulfill my duties as a human weapon..." and on he went, watching the disbelief rise in Winry's eyes. They all knew she wouldn't be able to take all of this in, but still she listened. Her world, held together by hope and determination, had come apart once again.

"Why don't you just refuse?" Her voice broke and she stood, about ready to shake Edward back to reality. She wanted to scream at him that he had a choice, and that he could make his own path in life. Only then did it hit her. Bordering hysteria, she came to the realization that Edward couldn't refuse—because of her.

The hard bench managed to brake her fall. A single word left her lips: "Oh,"

She shook, visibly shook, and muttered a sorry and other more unintelligible words. She felt the delicate sketch inside her pocket crumble and felt the yearning to smooth out its edges despite the situation. She blinked, hard. She couldn't cry now, she had to be strong for the boys and for herself.

"I won't cry," she reassured, her jaw setting stubbornly when Edward reached out a hand to console her. He let it hover in the air for a second longer before it drifted back to his side.

"I'm so naive..." Edward wasn't sure if that's what Winry said or not, but at the moment he wasn't focused on anything. For once he didn't know what he was going to do. It was just like when he was a little boy, sitting in a wheelchair while his life raced by him in a dull blur.

He remembered Al, just beginning to get used to his new body, and a small Winry heading toward him, and Winry didn't look as mad as she once had been.

_"I'm sorry,"_ she had whispered, _"all you were trying to do was get your mom back..."_

"I'm sorry," Edward was brought out of his reverie by the sound of the older Winry's voice. "All you were trying to do was get your original bodies back..."

Edward sighed. He knew she felt guilty, but he couldn't comfort her now no matter how desperately he wanted to. He didn't like hurting her, but he knew she'd never let him take all the blame onto his shoulders. Not again.

"About that," he spoke up, grabbing Al's attention, "Kimblee actually offered me a Philosopher's Stone as payment..."

"A stone?" Alphonse's hollow voice rose in disbelief. "We can't, Brother! The ingredients for a stone are—"

"I know, Al." Edward bit him off more harshly than he intended to, but it shut his younger sibling up nonetheless. When Alphonse continued to stare at Ed in silent shock, the elder Elric gave him a look—_the_ look. The look that made it clear he was planning something big, and he needed his little brother to play a part in it.

"Fine, do what you want." All emotion in Al's voice dissipated, and Winry looked up at both of them in sudden confusion. Ed's body was stiff when he replied with an "I will."

He turned, without looking back, and one of the guards let him out. Kimblee pushed himself off the wall separating the cells, and he wore and expression of mild apprehension.

"It's settled. I'm in, alright?" Edward shoved his hands in his coat pockets to keep them from shaking. He managed to pull off the nonchalant look perfectly, and determination burned like a harsh flame in the pit of his stomach. He heard the cell door open again and knew Winry was being let out.

The flamed roared up, engulfing everything in his chest. It pushed him forward as he walked with Kimblee.

"Finding Scar is the first thing I'm going to do." He claimed, locking eyes with the Crimson Alchemist.

"Oh yeah, why is that?" Kimblee inquired in his acidic, normal tone. It was then that Edward looked back over his shoulder and saw Winry looking right back at him. Sadness, confusion, and something else was brewing beneath those soft, aquamarine pools.

"Scar is the one who murdered Winry's parents; they deserve vengeance." He explained, stopping only so that Kimblee could open up the door at the end of the hall. He barely heard his brother and the girl he secretly loved muttering in the background.

He managed to do something good today, despite how he felt, but even so it wouldn't right the wrongs just yet. Edward closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

_...  
_

Winry opened her eyes and gasped heavily. The lack of air in the water carrier had been suffocating her for the past hour and a half. She was thankful they, being the two men from the military in disguise, at least had the lid halfway off.

Crawling awkwardly out of the water container and opening the back door to the Rockbell home, she took another deep breath. All the familiar smells she grew up with came rushing back to her instantly. The smell of oil and grease, fresh wood, musty blankets, wool, and coal all reminded her of the olden days before everything became so complicated.

"Smells like home." Winry breathed with a relieved smile. She knew every nook and cranny of the old farmhouse, but she couldn't escape the urge to look around as if she were walking into some new discovery. She missed her home so much, even if it had only been a couple months. Yet, in those couple months, she'd been to hell and back, laughed in the devil's face alongside danger, and sauntered on back to reality.

She was brought back from her thoughts by the soft murmur of the two military men poking their heads into one of the automail rooms and commenting on the mess.

"Don't touch any of the unfinished pieces." She instructed, turning to head up the stairs and change out of her dirty clothes. She needed a bath badly_._

She sighed in relief when she opened her door. Her eyes felt heavy and her shoulders sagged. She relished in the fact she was in the privacy of her own room, and thought of skipping the bath altogether. Her bed was a hell of a lot more comfortable than the other various places she'd been sleeping.

Still, she needed to get out of her filthy clothes whatever her decision to do first. Stripping off the first layer of clothing, Winry hiked up her dark undershirt only to stop when something out of her peripheral vision moved. Something blonde...

Winry's head jerked to the right and stared. Sitting at her work bench and eating a sandwich was the legendary Edward Elric. The _last_ person she expected to see for a _long_ time.

One second passed. Then two...

A whirlwind of events transpired after Winry stopped screaming. The two men who had been traveling with Winry burst through the door and aimed their guns, only to be dumbfounded when they saw who was in the room with the young mechanic. Den's barks grew louder and angrier, two other muscular men showed up with guns of their own, and then Ling appeared, of all people! Honestly, if the Fuehrer, himself, showed up and_ proposed_ to her Winry wouldn't have been more confused.

_"Get out of my room!" _She finally hollered, wrenching them out the door. She turned her glare to Edward, who immediately gulped in fear.

_He better, _she thought irritably and sighed, lowering her battered tool.

"Winry?" An elder voice called. The blonde Rockbell turned back to the door just in time to see her short grandmother making her way up the stairs. She looked mildly confused and slightly amused, then she grinned, and the wrinkles Winry had missed oh-so-dearly appeared around her mouth.

"Welcome home." The elder woman greeted.

"Hi, Granny." Winry smiled tenderly. "It's good to be back."

"I'll just go get supper started then." Pinako said with a curt nod. She turned to leave, and kicked one of the Briggs' soldier's boots who groaned in reply.

"Get up, you." She scoffed.

Winry giggled, and looked back over her shoulder. Edward's back was to her. He looked like he was trying to stuff something in his pocket_._

"Ed?"_  
_

"Yeah?" He muttered, obviously unaware she was watching him.

"What's that?"

Edward froze; his actions halted. "Nothing," he clipped and hastily shoved whatever he was trying to hide in his pant's pocket. Winry grabbed for it, successfully snatching it away only to have him catch her arm and pry it from her fingers.

"Edward!"

"It's nothing!" He yelled and crumpled the paper with one fist.

"If it's nothing then let me—" She gasped when she reached Edward's hardened gaze. She saw something she was starting to see a lot of in his eyes: desperation. He was desperate to hide something from her, but Winry was damned and determined to find out what it was.

Taking a gamble and praying it wasn't too important, Winry ripped it from his grasp and it tore in two. It was enough for her to see what was _so_ important that had to be kept secret from her.

She gasped once again. She looked from Edward back to the torn picture, then to him again. Her eyes were so wide they hurt, but that didn't matter at the moment. Nothing mattered at the moment. The only thing that _did_ matter was the fact that her dream artist, her alleged _stalker_, was standing right in front of her with the most red cheeks she'd ever seen. She could almost feel the heat from them herself.

"You drew this?" Winry asked breathlessly. She stared back down and the ripped and crumpled paper. It was a drawing of her again, only in her winter coat. She looked troubled in the picture. Her eyes were soft and cloudy with confusion, and her shaded lips were pouted in disbelief. She was stiff, but it wasn't from the lack of drawing experience. The background was filled with hard criss-crosses that gave a dark perception of the place. It looked like a cell.

_So that's been been bothering him?  
_

"Yeah..." Edward muttered, referring to her spoken question. He shuffled nervously and his eyes moved over her carpet floor, never meeting her gaze. It struck Winry as something cute; something she'd _never_ expect Edward to do.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She tried searching his sleep-deprived face. The lines and planes of his face couldn't mask the need for basic comforts, and Winry desperately wanted to reach out for him, but his words stopped her.

"I—" He tried, but was cut off by the call for dinner by Pinako.

"We'll talk afterward." Winry decided for them, knowing he needed a check up anyway. She hesitantly placed the drawing down on her work bench. She had a lot to process over dinner, and she knew there were still things on Edward's mind that were keeping him silent.

And like the drawing, she was damned and determined to find out what it was.

* * *

**Happy birthday, sailorsweetart! I hope you enjoy this, and I hope every one of mi fans enjoys this as well! Review pretty please!**


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